Abstract

Zucchini or squash (Cucumis pepo), also referred to as the green baby marrows, are highly susceptible to Meloidogyne species, without any genotype with resistance to the nematode genus. Cucurbitacin-containing phytonematicides are being used as alternatives to methyl bromide in various crops, with limited information on whether the product could induce auto-allelopathy in C. pepo cultivars. The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of Nemafric-BL phytonematicide on suppression of M. incognita and growth of zucchini under greenhouse conditions. Zucchini cv. ‘Cartesa’ seedlings were inoculated with 5000 eggs and second-stage juveniles (J2) of M. incognita and then managed at weekly basis using Nemafric-BL phytonematicide at 0, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32%. Eight weeks after the treatments, relative to untreated control, the treatments reduced eggs (95–100%) and J2 (99–100) in roots, J2 (86–110%) in soil and final nematode population densities (97–100), but increased dry fruit mass (5–14%) and fruit number (66–137%), without affecting other plant variables. Nemafric-BL phytonematicide could be used in managing population densities of Meloidogyne species in zucchini production under greenhouse conditions without inducing phytotoxicity.